【Ａｓｐｈｙｘｉａ】 seongjoong

Wake Up Call

Transient Global Amnesia.

That was what KQ had called it when Yunho had called that morning after Mingi had woken up. The type of amnesia that impairs memory in a normally healthy person's mind brought on by extreme emotional stress or a "mini-stroke". The effects normally only lasted a day, or so Yunho hoped, but the symptoms could include confusion, nausea, and headaches. Until Mingi recovered, however, he wouldn't be able to recall any of the events of the previous day and anything associated with it. Meaning, no one but Mingi knew of the kinds of things he might have saw while he was captured. All of that was locked somewhere deep inside his brain. The barista only hoped that they would be able to deal with the reality of whatever that was once it unlocked.

Yunho stood in the doorway and watched as Mingi walked slowly around his room, taking in every detail and staring at it curiously as if he were discovering it for the first time. In a way, it was, but the brunette didn't really know that. Coming across a bookshelf, the student paused and stared at a photo perched on display. He reached out and picked it up gently, rubbing a thumb over the glass.

"Is this us?" Mingi asked softly, his eyes never leaving the picture.

The barista took a few steps forward and glanced over the other's shoulder to take a look even though he knew exactly what photo the other was talking about. It was just a simple selfie of the two of them that Mingi took the day the boy had taken Yunho to the movies as a thank you. The brunette's cheeks were puffed up and his lips pursed like he was giving a kiss to the camer. Yunho stood beside him half smiling while throwing up a peace sign. It was the first time they had hung out by themselves and the blonde had seemed rather nervous but in the end they had fun. As soon as they started dating, Yunho printed out the picture and set it in the frame as a reminder.

Mingi continued to stare at it intently, as if he were trying to conjure up the memory. He recognized himself in the picture but any thought he tried to bring up of the blonde was fuzzy at best and he had no recollection of taking the photo. There was a vague feeling of warmth, however, as he took in the blonde posed next to him. His brain may not remember, but his heart did.

"We look close." The sudden thought struck the brunette. "Are we?"

The question took the other off guard as he stood a little straighter. He scratched at the back of his head anxiously. This would be a tricky question to answer. Was he truthful and run the risk of the other running off? Or did he lie and hope Mingi remembers sooner rather than later?

"Yeah," The barista exhaled heavily. He decided to go with a sort of half-truth. He had a feeling that Mingi would be upset if he remembered and Yunho didn't tell him at least this. "We are."

Mingi just nodded his head, eyes never leaving the picture, and easily accepted the information. It didn't seem weird to him, hearing those words, so he figured it must be true. It was an odd thing, to learn something about your life that you should already know, but there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

"Where's Hongjoong?" Mingi asked as he put the frame back on the shelf for the time being.

"So you remember him, huh?" Yunho asked with a small, sad smile.

"I remember everything," The brunette said. He looked over at the blonde beside him. He gave him a little bit of a sad, sympathetic look. "I just can't seem to remember you."

The barista tried not to show the pain on his face or the whine that wanted to be released from this throat. His chest stung like he had been stabbed. "Do you remember last night?"

Mingi pursed his lips and hummed as he tried to think. After a moment, he finally shook his head. "No, I can't think of anything."

"Figures," Yunho sighed. "Hongjoong went out for a bit. Do you want some coffee?"